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Western Dairyland Business Center Newsletter |
November 2008 | |
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Greetings!
Please join us as we say farewell to Sara Bates, our Business Development Administrative Assistant. During the past two years Sara has been a great asset to the Business Center. Sara provided superior assistance to the staff by maintaining program data and reporting systems, providing leadership and support for our annual business conference, developing news releases, providing program clerical support, and by performing many other important business center functions. Good luck Sara, you will be missed.
This newsletter is packed with great information. In November, our Women's Networking Meeting features Barbara Arnold, MBA with the timely topic of "Brand Aid for Tough Times: Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations during a Recession." We will also be continuing our annual Business Tax Chat series with Evlyn Carlile, owner of Simple Office Solutions. This month's Business Tax Chat is entitled "Tax Ready Year Round" and will focus on how business records should be kept throughout the year. At our I&E Club meetings this month you can meet in Black River Falls to learn about business news releases or meet in Arcadia to learn about nanotechnology and the NanoRite Center. On November 11th don't miss our "7-Steps to Starting a Business" class at our Independence Office.
Please enjoy our newsletter and don't forget to reply to this email with your suggestions, comments, and/or concerns.
Sincerely,
Karman Briggs
Western Dairyland Business Center Manager |
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Jackson County I&E Club's next meeting is Thursday, November 13th at Jackson Electric, N6868 County Rd. F, Black River Falls. Steve Cahalan, Business Editor for the La Crosse Tribune, will be the guest speaker at the November 13th meeting. Have you launched a new business? Recently hired a new manager? Although there is a definite line between self promotion and the sharing of public information regarding your business, service or product line, knowing where that line is can be difficult. Steve Cahalan will not only present information on how to identify relevant news regarding your business, but will also illustrate how to write a press release as well as how to submit it to the media for publication.
Buffalo/Trempealeau County I & E Club's next meeting is November 20th at Riverland Energy Cooperative, N28988 State Rd. 93, Arcadia. The guest speakers for the November meeting will be Pam Owen, manager of the NanoRite Innovation Center in Eau Claire and Hans Mikelson, Instructor and Department Chair of the Nanoscience Program at the Chippewa Valley Technical College. NanoRite is an incubation and innovation center created to support growth and economic development in the advanced technology sector. The 37,000 square foot facility provides entrepreneurial applied research capability for nanotechnology, micro-fabrication and micro-machining ventures.
These two clubs are FREE of charge and open to anyone in Western Wisconsin who would like to learn from experienced professionals and discuss their ideas with other local inventors and entrepreneurs. Each meeting will feature a guest speaker who will share tips and techniques on topics ranging from market research and business planning to patents and trademarks. The goal of the club is to create a positive learning and networking environment that will enable participants to successfully move forward with their plans. No registration is required to attend the monthly meetings and there are no fees to join.
 Network with other I&E Club members outside of the monthly I&E meetings through our NEW online LinkedIn Discussion Group! To join, click here and you will then be directly connected with other I&E Club members and supporters. Looking for a prototype manufacturer? Need help with some marketing? Feel free to initiate discussions or simply post to ongoing discussions.
For more information on either I & E Club call:
Karman Briggs at 715-836-7511, ext. 174
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Women's Business Networking Meeting
Tuesday November 11, Noon - 1PM
418 Wisconsin St, Eau Claire WI
"Brand Aid for Tough Times: Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations during a Recession" by Barbara Arnold, MBA.
The November guest speaker will be Barbara Arnold, MBA. Arnold is an associate lecturer in the Communication and Journalism Department at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she has also taught advertising as well as buyer behavior, professional selling, and sales management in the College of Business. Arnold has personally survived and thrived through several recessions during her lifetime, while working for a diverse portfolio of companies: Com Ed, an electric utility in Chicago; USEC, a global energy company in Washington, DC, Motorola in Austin, Texas, and northern Illinois, and Scholarship America in Minneapolis. In addition, she has worked in marketing, public relations or sales for a variety of organizations in the Chippewa Valley, including Realityworks, Junior Achievement, and the Clairemont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
"BRAND AID for Tough Times" will focus on cost-effective and efficient ways organizations in the Chippewa Valley can connect with their customers during tough times and realize win-win results for both customers and business owners alike. Studies have shown that organizations that continue to invest in marketing, public relations and sales during down times have higher brand recognition which translates into the bottom line than those organizations that cut marketing, public relations and sales during these times. In addition to her presentation, Arnold will be offering one hour of free consulting to those in attendance through a drawing.
April 23, 2009
Eau Claire, WI
*** The next planning meeting for the Women's Business Conference is: Wednesday November 5th at 10am. Contact kbriggs@westerndairyland.org if you are interested in participating. |
BUSINESS CENTER TRAININGS for NOVEMBER & DECEMBER:
"7 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS" - one 3 hour session for $25 (scholarships available)
- November 11th, Tuesday in Independence from 6:30-9:30pm
"BUSINESS RECORDKEEPING 101" - one 3 hour session for $25 (scholarships available)
- November 6th, Thursday in Eau Claire from 6-9pm (laptops provided)
"INVENTORS & ENTREPRENEURS CLUB MEETINGS" - FREE and open to the public!
Jackson County- 2nd Thurs. of the month at Jackson Electric in Black River Falls starting at 6:30pm.
- November 13th - Steve Cahalan, LaCrosse Tribune
- December 11th - Jan Gallagher, La Crosse SBDC
Buffalo/Tremp. County - 3rd Thurs. of the month at Riverland Energy Center in Arcadia at 6:30pm.
"BUSINESS TAX CHATS" - 3 sessions left, $5 each from 6-8pm in Eau Claire
- November 18th - "Tax Ready Year Round"
- December 16th - Record Keeping not Just for the IRS"
- January 13th - "Financial Reporting"
For questions, to register, or more information about any of these events:
Online: www.successfulbusiness.org
Phone: 1-800-782-1063 or 1-715-836-7511 ext 174
Email: kbriggs@westerndairyland.org |
GET READY FOR TAX TIME!!
with our Business Tax Chats
In this annual series, small business owners will learn from, discuss with, and ask questions of local bookkeeping expert, Evlyn Carlile regarding record keeping and business taxes. Come to all chats, or pick and chose which ones would be most beneficial to your business.
- November 18th "Tax Ready Year Round" Learning how to strategically organize and maintain your business records throughout the year will greatly reduce that last-minute time crunch before taxes are due.
- December 16th "Record Keeping not Just for the IRS" Learn how to use a well formed record keeping system for making informed decisions regarding the direction of your business not just to satisfy the IRS. From identifying which marketing avenues had the best rate of return, to which area is ready for expansion in your business.
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January 13th "Financial Reporting and Open Discussion" Evlyn will present on asset tracking (both fixed and inventory), verifying balance sheet items, and other "Hot Topics" for the 2008 tax year. This will be an open discussion, so please come with questions.
All tax chats will be held from 6-8pm at 418 Wisconsin Street in Eau Claire
Tuition is $5 per tax chat.
For questions, to register, or more information
Online: www.successfulbusiness.org
Phone: 1-800-782-1063 or 1-715-836-7511 ext 174
Email: kbriggs@westerndairyland.org |
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TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE HOLIDAY SHOPPERS!
This month's WCM tip is brief in order to allow you time to prepare for what will hopefully be a profitable holiday shopping season for all! By this time, you should have your WCM page completley updated with seasonal promotions, items and sales. If you haven't, stop everything and do this now! By this time next month, it will be too late. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns with how to update your WCM web page.
For information on becoming a vendor on the Wisconsin Common Market
and taking your business online, visit our website
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| NEED TO KNOW, News and Events around Western Wisconsin:
EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES:
"Are You Part of the Creative Economy?" This free program will take place on November 6th at 6pm at the Heyde Center for the Arts, 3 S High St. Featured speakers include Charlie Walker, president of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, Jerry Hembd, economics professor at UW-Superior/UW-Extension, and Andrew Dane, community development specialist with Barron/Chippewa County UW-Extension. Call 715-726-9000 with questions. | |
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